Languishing in a rocking chair has been a long time source of relaxation an entertainment. However the majority of chairs on the market today can be classified as "standard" or chairs lacking the ability to rock back and forth. Therefore, much effort has been devoted to the development of an adapter which can convert a standard chair into a rocking chair. The desirable qualities of such a device fall into several categories including safety, durability, versatility, ease of conversion and convenience of use.
Many attempts have been made over the years to develop a conversion unit which can embody the above mentioned desirable qualities while still being affordable by the average consumer. Generally, these designs have been cumbersome to assemble, massive, and beyond the reasonable price range of any potential consumer.
For example, Clough (U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,353) is directed to a conversion unit for converting an ordinary standard chair into a rocking chair. However, a disadvantage of the device of the Clough patent is that the conversion unit disclosed has one piece rocker construction requiring the use of a telescoping brace between the two rockers in order to stabilize the assembly. This design is not advantageous to the user as it is difficult to assemble the telescoping braces required to stabilize the unit.
Clark (U.S. Pat. No. 2,612,489) discloses a rocker attachment for converting a stationary folding lawn chair, of tubular construction, into a rocking chair. This design, however, can only be utilized with chairs, preferably "lawn" chairs, of tubular construction. This unit is simply not an efficient means for conversion of a standard chair into a rocking chair.
Benzur (U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,086) discloses a device for converting a piece of furniture, such as a baby's crib, into a rocker. The conversion is accomplished by use of a one piece rocker, having a plurality of leg recesses in which the legs of a crib are placed. A disadvantage of the invention is that the rocker is not affixed to the leg of the crib thereby creating an unsafe and unstable condition.
Lerner (U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,268) directed to a device that attaches to the legs of a chair, by the use of straps which encircled the chair seat, thereby converting a standard chair into a rocking chair. This assembly, however, is difficult and cumbersome to assemble and operate. Another disadvantage of this invention is that the necessary straps are displeasing to the eye and can take away from the aesthetics of a chair.
The aforementioned references are directed to a device which can convert a Standard chair into a rocking chair. There continue to be improvements made in the design of such devices, with the objects of minimizing the difficulty of assembly and simplifying the design while still providing sufficient stability and safety for the user.
The devices for conversion of a Standard chair to a rocking chair now available on the market, such as those noted above, provide varying degrees of dual operation. This feature however, is gained at the expense of safety, stability, ease of installation and overall esthetic appeal. In accordance with the present invention, these and other disadvantages of the prior art are minimized. The present invention provides a new and useful improvement on the traditional design of a Standard chair to rocking chair conversion device.